Ram Gopal Varma, who has a reputation for hiring actors who’ve worked with him previously, has done it yet again. This time it’s Abhimanyu Singh, who had played the role of Bukka Reddy in his box office disaster, Rakta Charitra.

Says Abhimanyu, “After completing Rakta Charitra, I spoke to Ramu and he brought up the topic of Department.

He said, ‘I am casting you and you don’t have to do much because your real life is much like the character in the film.’.

He adds, “But when we started shooting, he took my character’s role much further and to a different level altogether. Although I’m playing one of the leads, my character has got a lot of layers. I can’t say whether it’s just negative, or positive too. You have to watch the film to decide.”

Though the exact details of Department’s story are not yet revealed, the movie is supposedly based on the Mumbai police’s functioning when encounters were widely used to wipe out crime in the city.

The actor says, “I can’t say much about the film. It’s for Ramu to talk about the plot.” The film is currently being shot at places like Madh Island, Borivli National Park and Mahalaxmi.

His role in Rakta Charitra had received praise from local and national media alike, but the film bombed at the box office. Another of his films, I Am, did as badly.

But Abhimanyu claims, “I have stopped expecting from films. What I expect never happens. It’s better to be focused and continue working. Luckily, Rakta Charitra did well in the South and I started getting a lot offers from the Tamil and Telegu film industry.”

The actor had also recently starred in the Tamil film, Velayudham (warrior), which featured Bollywood actors Genelia D’Souza and Hansika Motwani.

“I was pleasantly surprised that south directors started creating roles for me after watching Rakta Charitra. I know Sanskrit, which has similarities with Tamil, so it helps me understand the language” he added.